Memory Text: Genesis
28:15 KJV 15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places
whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will
not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee
of.

Jeremiah
17:9 NKJV 9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?

John
2:24-25 NKJV 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew
all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew
what was in man.

Sunday

Esau and
Jacob

Patriarchs and Prophets,
pp. 177-178

Chap. 16 - Jacob and Esau

Jacob
and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac, present a striking contrast, both in character
and in life. This unlikeness was foretold by the angel of God before their
birth. When in answer to Rebekah's troubled prayer he declared that two sons
would be given her, he opened to her their future history, that each would
become the head of a mighty nation, but that one would be greater than the
other, and that the younger would have the pre-eminence. {PP
177.1}

Esau
grew up loving self-gratification and centering all his interest in the present.
Impatient of restraint, he delighted in the wild freedom of the chase, and
early chose the life of a hunter. Yet he was the father's favorite. The quiet,
peace-loving shepherd was attracted by the daring and vigor of this elder
son, who fearlessly ranged over mountain and desert, returning home with
game for his father and with exciting accounts of his adventurous life. Jacob,
thoughtful, diligent, and care-taking, ever thinking more of the future than
the present,

was
content to dwell at home, occupied in the care of the flocks and the tillage
of the soil. His patient perseverance, thrift, and foresight were valued
by the mother. His affections were deep and strong, and his gentle, unremitting
attentions added far more to her happiness than did the boisterous and occasional
kindnesses of Esau. To Rebekah, Jacob was the dearer son. {PP
177.2}

The
promises made to Abraham and confirmed to his son were held by Isaac and
Rebekah as the great object of their desires and hopes. With these promises
Esau and Jacob were familiar. They were taught to regard the birthright as
a matter of great importance, for it included not only an inheritance of
worldly wealth but spiritual pre-eminence. He who received it was to be the
priest of his family, and in the line of his posterity the Redeemer of the
world would come. On the other hand, there were obligations resting upon
the possessor of the birthright. He (p. 178)

who
should inherit its blessings must devote his life to the service of God.
Like Abraham, he must be obedient to the divine requirements. In marriage,
in his family relations, in public life, he must consult the will of God.
{PP 177.3}

Isaac
made known to his sons these privileges and conditions, and plainly stated
that Esau, as the eldest, was the one entitled to the birthright. But Esau
had no love for devotion, no inclination to a religious life. The requirements
that accompanied the spiritual birthright were an unwelcome and even hateful
restraint to him. The law of God, which was the condition of the divine covenant
with Abraham, was regarded by Esau as a yoke of bondage. Bent on self-indulgence,
he desired nothing so much as liberty to do as he pleased. To him power and
riches, feasting and reveling, were happiness. He gloried in the unrestrained
freedom of his wild, roving life. Rebekah remembered the words of the angel,
and she read with clearer insight than did her husband the character of their
sons. She was convinced that the heritage of divine promise was intended
for Jacob. She repeated to Isaac the angel's words; but the father's affections
were centered upon the elder son, and he was unshaken in his purpose. {PP
178.1}

Jacob
had learned from his mother of the divine intimation that the birthright
should fall to him, and he was filled with an unspeakable desire for the
privileges which it would confer. It was not the possession of his father's
wealth that he craved; the spiritual birthright was the object of his longing.
To commune with God as did righteous Abraham, to offer the sacrifice of atonement
for his family, to be the progenitor of the chosen people and of the promised
Messiah, and to inherit the immortal possessions embraced in the blessings
of the covenant--here were the privileges and honors that kindled his most
ardent desires. His mind was ever reaching forward to the future, and seeking
to grasp its unseen blessings. {PP 178.2}

With
secret longing he listened to all that his father told concerning the spiritual
birthright; he carefully treasured what he had learned from his mother. Day
and night the subject occupied his thoughts, until it became the absorbing
interest of his life. But while he thus esteemed eternal above temporal
blessings, Jacob had not an experimental knowledge of the God whom he revered.
His heart had not been renewed by divine grace. He believed that the promise
concerning himself could not be fulfilled (p. 179) so long as Esau retained
the rights of the first-born, and he constantly studied to devise some way
whereby he might secure the blessing which his brother held so lightly, but
which was so precious to himself. {PP
178.3}

Hebrews
12:14-17 NKJV 14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which
no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of
the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble,
and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane
person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For
you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected,
for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with
tears.

Genesis
25:27 NKJV 27 So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of
the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.

Job
1:8 NKJV 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job,
that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one
who fears God and shuns evil?"

Genesis
25:33-34 NKJV 33 Then Jacob said, "Swear to me as of this day." So he swore
to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and
stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau
despised his birthright.

Genesis
26:24-25 NKJV 24 And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, "I
am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will
bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake." 25
So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched
his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well.

Monday

Isaac and
Abimelech

Genesis
26:1-5 NKJV 1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that
was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines,
in Gerar. 2 Then the LORD appeared to him and said: "Do not go down to Egypt;
live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 "Dwell in this land, and I
will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all
these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.
4 "And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will
give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations
of the earth shall be blessed; 5 "because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept
My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."

Genesis
26:7-11 NKJV 7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said,
"She is my sister"; for he was afraid to say, "She is my wife," because he
thought, "lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful
to behold." 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that
Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there
was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 9 Then Abimelech called
Isaac and said, "Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say,
'She is my sister'?" And Isaac said to him, "Because I said, 'Lest I die
on account of her.'"

Genesis
26:10-11 10 And Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of
the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought
guilt on us." 11 So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, "He who touches
this man or his wife shall surely be put to death."

Genesis
26:12-23 NKJV 12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year
a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and
continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions
of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the
Philistines envied him. 15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells
which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and
they had filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away
from us, for you are much mightier than we." 17 Then Isaac departed from
there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And
Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham
his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham.
He called them by the names which his father had called them. 19 Also Isaac's
servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. 20 But
the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water
is ours." So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled
with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one
also. So he called its name Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another
well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because
he said, "For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful
in the land." 23 Then he went up from there to Beersheba.

Genesis
26:24-25 NKJV 24 And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, "I
am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will
bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake." 25
So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched
his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well.

Ephesians
5:2 NKJV 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself
for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling
aroma.

Revelation
13:8 NKJV 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have
not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world.

Genesis
26:28-29 NKJV 28 But they said, "We have certainly seen that the LORD is
with you. So we said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, between you and
us; and let us make a covenant with you, 29 'that you will do us no harm,
since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but
good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the
LORD.'"

Tuesday

Faithless
Schemes

Genesis
27:1-7 NKJV 1 Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so
dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to
him, "My son." And he answered him, "Here I am." 2 Then he said, "Behold
now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. 3 "Now therefore, please
take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and
hunt game for me. 4 "And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it
to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die." 5 Now Rebekah
was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field
to hunt game and to bring it. 6 So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying,
"Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7 'Bring
me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the
presence of the LORD before my death.'

Genesis
25:23 NKJV 23 And the LORD said to her: "Two nations are in your womb, Two
peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than
the other, And the older shall serve the younger."

Genesis
25:29-34 NKJV 29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field,
and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same
red stew, for I am weary." Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob
said, "Sell me your birthright as of this day." 32 And Esau said, "Look,
I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?" 33 Then Jacob said,
"Swear to me as of this day." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright
to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and
drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his
birthright.

Genesis
26:34-35 NKJV 34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the
daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.
35 And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.

Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 180

Rebekah
divined his purpose. She was confident that it was contrary to what God had
revealed as His will. Isaac was in danger of incurring the divine displeasure
and of debarring his younger son from the position to which God had called
him. She had in vain tried the effect of reasoning with Isaac, and she determined
to resort to stratagem. {PP 180.1}

No
sooner had Esau departed on his errand than Rebekah set about the accomplishment
of her purpose. She told Jacob what had taken place, urging the necessity
of immediate action to prevent the bestowal of the blessing, finally and
irrevocably, upon Esau. And she assured her son that if he would follow her
directions,

he
might obtain it as God had promised. Jacob did not readily consent to the
plan that she proposed. The thought of deceiving his father caused him great
distress. He felt that such a sin would bring a curse rather than a blessing.
But his scruples were overborne, and he proceeded to carry out his mother's
suggestions. It was not his intention to utter a direct falsehood, but once
in the presence of his father he seemed to have gone too far to retreat,
and he obtained by fraud the coveted blessing. {PP 180.2}

Jacob
and Rebekah succeeded in their purpose, but they gained only trouble and
sorrow by their deception. God had declared that Jacob should receive the
birthright, and His word would have been fulfilled in His own time had they
waited in faith for Him to work for them. But like many who now profess to
be children of God, they were unwilling to leave the matter in His hands.
Rebekah bitterly repented the wrong counsel she had given her son; it was
the means of separating him from her, and she never saw his face again. From
the hour when he received the birthright, Jacob was weighed down with
self-condemnation. He had sinned against his father, his brother, his own
soul, and against God. In one short hour he had made work for a lifelong
repentance. This scene was vivid before him in afteryears, when the wicked
course of his sons oppressed his soul. {PP 180.3}

No
sooner had Jacob left his father's tent than Esau entered. Though he had
sold his birthright, and confirmed the transfer by a solemn oath, he was
now determined to secure its blessings, regardless of his brother's claim.
With the spiritual was connected the temporal birthright, which would give
him the headship of the family and possession of a double portion of his
father's (p. 181) wealth. These were blessings that he could value. "Let
my father arise," he said, "and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may
bless me." {PP
180.4}

Genesis
27:8-29 NKJV 8 "Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what I
command you. 9 "Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids
of the goats, and I will make savory food from them for your father, such
as he loves. 10 "Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it,
and that he may bless you before his death." 11 And Jacob said to Rebekah
his mother, "Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned
man. 12 "Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver
to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing." 13 But his
mother said to him, "Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice,
and go, get them for me." 14 And he went and got them and brought them to
his mother, and his mother made savory food, such as his father loved. 15
Then Rebekah took the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with
her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And she put the
skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his
neck. 17 Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared,
into the hand of her son Jacob. 18 So he went to his father and said, "My
father.' And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?" 19 Jacob said to
his father, "I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please
arise, sit and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me."
20 But Isaac said to his son, "How is it
that you have found it so quickly, my son?" And he said, "Because the LORD
your God brought it to me." 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come
near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or
not."

Genesis
27:22-29 22 So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said,
"The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau." 23 And
he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's
hands; so he blessed him. 24 Then he said, "Are you really my son Esau?"
He said, "I am." 25 He said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's
game, so that my soul may bless you." So he brought it near to him, and he
ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said
to him, "Come near now and kiss me, my son." 27 And he came near and kissed
him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:
"Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the LORD
has blessed. 28 Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness
of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, And
nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother's
sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those
who bless you!"

Genesis
27:27-29 NKJV 27 And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell
of his clothing, and blessed him and said: "Surely, the smell of my son Is
like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed. 28 Therefore may God
give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of
grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be
master over your brethren, And let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed
be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless
you!"

Genesis
27:37 NKJV 37 Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, "Indeed I have made him
your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain
and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my
son?"

Genesis
27:28-29 NKJV 28 Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the
fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve
you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your
mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed
be those who bless you!"

Wednesday

The Price of
Duplicity

Review Genesis chapter 25

Genesis
27:45 NKJV 45 "until your brother's anger turns away from you, and he forgets
what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there. Why
should I be bereaved also of you both in one day?"

1
Corinthians 10:13 NKJV 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as
is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way
of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Thursday

Jacobs
Ladder

Genesis
28:1-5 NKJV 1 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and
said to him: "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 "Arise,
go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father; and take
yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.
3 "May God Almighty bless you, And make you fruitful and multiply you, That
you may be an assembly of peoples; 4 And give you the blessing of Abraham,
To you and your descendants with you, That you may inherit the land In which
you are a stranger, Which God gave to Abraham." 5 So Isaac sent Jacob away,
and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother
of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Genesis
28:10-15 NKJV 10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.
11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the
sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his
head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold,
a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there
the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the
LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and
the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your
descendants. 14 "Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth;
you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south;
and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
15 "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring
you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I
have spoken to you."

Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 183

Chap. 17 - Jacob's Flight and
Exile

Threatened
with death by the wrath of Esau, Jacob went out from his father's home a
fugitive; but he carried with him the father's blessing; Isaac had renewed
to him the covenant promise, and had bidden him, as its inheritor, to seek
a wife of his mother's family in Mesopotamia. Yet it was with a deeply troubled
heart that Jacob set out on his lonely journey. With only his staff in his
hand he must travel hundreds of miles through a country inhabited by wild,
roving tribes. In his remorse and timidity he sought to avoid men, lest he
should be traced by his angry brother. He feared that he had lost forever
the blessing that God had purposed to give him;

and
Satan was at hand to press temptations upon him. {PP 183.1}

The
evening of the second day found him far away from his father's tents. He
felt that he was an outcast, and he knew that all this trouble had been brought
upon him by his own wrong course. The darkness of despair pressed upon his
soul, and he hardly dared to pray. But he was so utterly lonely that he felt
the need of protection from God as he had never felt it before. With weeping
and deep humiliation he confessed his sin, and entreated for some evidence
that he was not utterly forsaken. Still his burdened heart found no relief.
He had lost all confidence in himself, and he feared that the God of his
fathers had cast him off. {PP 183.2}

But
God did not forsake Jacob. His mercy was still extended to His erring,
distrustful servant. The Lord compassionately revealed just what Jacob needed--a
Saviour. He had sinned, but his heart was filled with gratitude as he saw
revealed a way by which he could be restored to the favor of God. {PP
183.3}

Wearied
with his journey, the wanderer lay down upon the ground, with a stone for
his pillow. As he slept he beheld a ladder, bright and shining, whose base
rested upon the earth, while the top reached to heaven. Upon this ladder
angels were ascending and descending; above it was the Lord of glory, and
from (p. 184) the heavens His voice was heard: "I am the Lord God of Abraham
thy father, and the God of Isaac." The land whereon he lay as an exile and
fugitive was promised to him and to his posterity, with the assurance, "In
thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." This
promise had been given to Abraham and to Isaac, and now it was renewed to
Jacob. Then in special regard to his present loneliness and distress, the
words of comfort and encouragement were spoken: "Behold, I am with thee,
and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee
again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which
I have spoken to thee of." {PP
183.4}

2
Corinthians 5:18-19 NKJV 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled
us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of
reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world
to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us
the word of reconciliation.

Romans
3:28-30 NKJV 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart
from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not
also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is
one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through
faith.

Romans
4:5 NKJV 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies
the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

Galatians
3:24 NKJV 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that
we might be justified by faith.

Friday

Patriarchs and Prophets,
pp. 177-189

Chap. 16 - Jacob and Esau

Jacob
and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac, present a striking contrast, both in character
and in life. This unlikeness was foretold by the angel of God before their
birth. When in answer to Rebekah's troubled prayer he declared that two sons
would be given her, he opened to her their future history, that each would
become the head of a mighty nation, but that one would be greater than the
other, and that the younger would have the pre-eminence. {PP
177.1}

Esau
grew up loving self-gratification and centering all his interest in the present.
Impatient of restraint, he delighted in the wild freedom of the chase, and
early chose the life of a hunter. Yet he was the father's favorite. The quiet,
peace-loving shepherd was attracted by the daring and vigor of this elder
son, who fearlessly ranged over mountain and desert, returning home with
game for his father and with exciting accounts of his adventurous life. Jacob,
thoughtful, diligent, and care-taking, ever thinking more of the future than
the present, was content to dwell at home, occupied in the care of the flocks
and the tillage of the soil. His patient perseverance, thrift, and foresight
were valued by the mother. His affections were deep and strong, and his gentle,
unremitting attentions added far more to her happiness than did the boisterous
and occasional kindnesses of Esau. To Rebekah, Jacob was the dearer son.
{PP 177.2}

The
promises made to Abraham and confirmed to his son were held by Isaac and
Rebekah as the great object of their desires and hopes. With these promises
Esau and Jacob were familiar. They were taught to regard the birthright as
a matter of great importance, for it included not only an inheritance of
worldly wealth but spiritual pre-eminence. He who received it was to be the
priest of his family, and in the line of his posterity the Redeemer of the
world would come. On the other hand, there were obligations resting upon
the possessor of the birthright. He (p. 178)

who
should inherit its blessings must devote his life to the service of God.
Like Abraham, he must be obedient to the divine requirements. In marriage,
in his family relations, in public life, he must consult the will of God.
{PP 177.3}

Isaac
made known to his sons these privileges and conditions, and plainly stated
that Esau, as the eldest, was the one entitled to the birthright. But Esau
had no love for devotion, no inclination to a religious life. The requirements
that accompanied the spiritual birthright were an unwelcome and even hateful
restraint to him. The law of God, which was the condition of the divine covenant
with Abraham, was regarded by Esau as a yoke of bondage. Bent on self-indulgence,
he desired nothing so much as liberty to do as he pleased. To him power and
riches, feasting and reveling, were happiness. He gloried in the unrestrained
freedom of his wild, roving life. Rebekah remembered the words of the angel,
and she read with clearer insight than did her husband the character of their
sons. She was convinced that the heritage of divine promise was intended
for Jacob. She repeated to Isaac the angel's words; but the father's affections
were centered upon the elder son, and he was unshaken in his purpose. {PP
178.1}

Jacob
had learned from his mother of the divine intimation that the birthright
should fall to him, and he was filled with an unspeakable desire for the
privileges which it would confer. It was not the possession of his father's
wealth that he craved; the spiritual birthright was the object of his longing.
To commune with God as did righteous Abraham, to offer the sacrifice of atonement
for his family, to be the progenitor of the chosen people and of the promised
Messiah, and to inherit the immortal possessions embraced in the blessings
of the covenant--here were the privileges and honors that kindled his most
ardent desires. His mind was ever reaching forward to the future, and seeking
to grasp its unseen blessings. {PP 178.2}

With
secret longing he listened to all that his father told concerning the spiritual
birthright; he carefully treasured what he had learned from his mother. Day
and night the subject occupied his thoughts, until it became the absorbing
interest of his life. But while he thus esteemed eternal above temporal
blessings, Jacob had not an experimental knowledge of the God whom he revered.
His heart had not been renewed by divine grace. He believed that the promise
concerning himself could not be fulfilled (p. 179) so long as Esau retained
the rights of the first-born, and he constantly studied to devise some way
whereby he might secure the blessing which his brother held so lightly, but
which was so precious to himself. {PP 178.3}

When
Esau, coming home one day faint and weary from the chase, asked for the food
that Jacob was preparing, the latter, with whom one thought was ever uppermost,
seized upon his advantage, and offered to satisfy his brother's hunger at
the price of the birthright. "Behold, I am at the point to die," cried the
reckless, self-indulgent hunter, "and what profit shall this birthright do
to me?" And for a dish of red pottage he parted with his birthright, and
confirmed the transaction by an oath. A short time at most would have secured
him food in his father's tents, but to satisfy the desire of the moment he
carelessly bartered the glorious heritage that God Himself had promised to
his fathers. His whole interest was in the present. He was ready to sacrifice
the heavenly to the earthly, to exchange a future good for a momentary
indulgence. {PP 179.1}

"Thus
Esau despised his birthright." In disposing of it he felt a sense of relief.
Now his way was unobstructed; he could do as he liked. For this wild pleasure,
miscalled freedom, how many are still selling their birthright to an inheritance
pure and undefiled, eternal in the heavens! {PP 179.2}

Ever
subject to mere outward and earthly attractions, Esau took two wives of the
daughters of Heth. They were worshipers of false gods, and their idolatry
was a bitter grief to Isaac and Rebekah. Esau had violated one of the conditions
of the covenant, which forbade intermarriage between the chosen people and
the heathen; yet Isaac was still unshaken in his determination to bestow
upon him the birthright. The reasoning of Rebekah, Jacob's strong desire
for the blessing, and Esau's indifference to its obligations had no effect
to change the father's purpose. {PP 179.3}

Years
passed on, until Isaac, old and blind, and expecting soon to die, determined
no longer to delay the bestowal of the blessing upon his elder son. But knowing
the opposition of Rebekah and Jacob, he decided to perform the solemn ceremony
in secret. In accordance with the custom of making a feast upon such occasions,
the patriarch bade Esau,

"Go
out to the field, and take me some venison; and make me savory meat, . .
. that my soul may bless thee before I die." (p. 180) {PP
179.4}

Rebekah
divined his purpose. She was confident that it was contrary to what God had
revealed as His will. Isaac was in danger of incurring the divine displeasure
and of debarring his younger son from the position to which God had called
him. She had in vain tried the effect of reasoning with Isaac, and she determined
to resort to stratagem. {PP 180.1}

No
sooner had Esau departed on his errand than Rebekah set about the accomplishment
of her purpose. She told Jacob what had taken place, urging the necessity
of immediate action to prevent the bestowal of the blessing, finally and
irrevocably, upon Esau. And she assured her son that if he would follow her
directions, he might obtain it as God had promised. Jacob did not readily
consent to the plan that she proposed. The thought of deceiving his father
caused him great distress. He felt that such a sin would bring a curse rather
than a blessing. But his scruples were overborne, and he proceeded to carry
out his mother's suggestions. It was not his intention to utter a direct
falsehood, but once in the presence of his father he seemed to have gone
too far to retreat, and he obtained by fraud the coveted blessing. {PP
180.2}

Jacob
and Rebekah succeeded in their purpose, but they gained only trouble and
sorrow by their deception. God had declared that Jacob should receive the
birthright, and His word would have been fulfilled in His own time had they
waited in faith for Him to work for them. But like many who now profess to
be children of God, they were unwilling to leave the matter in His hands.
Rebekah bitterly repented the wrong counsel she had given her son; it was
the means of separating him from her, and she never saw his face again. From
the hour when he received the birthright, Jacob was weighed down with
self-condemnation. He had sinned against his father, his brother, his own
soul, and against God. In one short hour he had made work for a lifelong
repentance. This scene was vivid before him in afteryears, when the wicked
course of his sons oppressed his soul. {PP 180.3}

No
sooner had Jacob left his father's tent than Esau entered. Though he had
sold his birthright, and confirmed the transfer by a solemn oath, he was
now determined to secure its blessings, regardless of his brother's claim.
With the spiritual was connected the temporal birthright, which would give
him the headship of the family and possession of a double portion of his
father's (p. 181) wealth. These were blessings that he could value. "Let
my father arise," he said, "and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may
bless me." {PP 180.4}

Trembling
with astonishment and distress, the blind old father learned the deception
that had been practiced upon him. His long and fondly cherished hopes had
been thwarted, and he keenly felt the disappointment that must come upon
his elder son. Yet the conviction flashed upon him that it was God's providence
which had defeated his purpose and brought about the very thing he had determined
to prevent. He remembered the words of the angel to Rebekah, and notwithstanding
the sin of which Jacob was now guilty, he saw in him the one best fitted
to accomplish the purposes of God. While the words of blessing were upon
his lips, he had felt the Spirit of inspiration upon him; and now, knowing
all the circumstances, he ratified the benediction unwittingly pronounced
upon Jacob: "I have blessed him; yea, and he shall be blessed." {PP
181.1}

Esau
had lightly valued the blessing while it seemed within his reach, but he
desired to possess it now that it was gone from him forever. All the strength
of his impulsive, passionate nature was aroused, and his grief and rage were
terrible. He cried with an exceeding bitter cry, "Bless me, even me also,
O my father!" "Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?" But the promise
given was not to be recalled. The birthright which he had so carelessly bartered
he could not now regain. "For one morsel of meat," for a momentary gratification
of appetite that had never been restrained, Esau sold his inheritance; but
when he saw his folly, it was too late to recover the blessing. "He found
no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Hebrews
12:16, 17. Esau was not shut out from the privilege of seeking God's favor
by repentance, but he could find no means of recovering the birthright. His
grief did not spring from conviction of sin; he did not desire to be reconciled
to God. He sorrowed because of the results of his sin, but not for the sin
itself. {PP 181.2}

Because
of his indifference to the divine blessings and requirements, Esau is called
in Scripture "a profane person." Verse 16. He represents those who lightly
value the redemption purchased for them by Christ, and are ready to sacrifice
their heirship to heaven for the perishable things of earth. Multitudes live
for the present, with no thought or care for the future. Like Esau (p. 182)
they cry, "Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die." 1 Corinthians 15:32.
They are controlled by inclination; and rather than practice self-denial,
they will forgo the most valuable considerations. If one must be relinquished,
the gratification of a depraved appetite or the heavenly blessings promised
only to the self-denying and God-fearing, the claims of appetite prevail,
and God and heaven are virtually despised. How many, even of professed
Christians, cling to indulgences that are injurious to health and that benumb
the sensibilities of the soul. When the duty is presented of cleansing themselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear
of God, they are offended. They see that they cannot retain these hurtful
gratifications and yet secure heaven, and they conclude that since the way
to eternal life is so strait, they will no longer walk therein. {PP
181.3}

Multitudes
are selling their birthright for sensual indulgence. Health is sacrificed,
the mental faculties are enfeebled, and heaven is forfeited; and all for
a mere temporary pleasure--an indulgence at once both weakening and debasing
in its character. As Esau awoke to see the folly of his rash exchange when
it was too late to recover his loss, so it will be in the day of God with
those who have bartered their heirship to heaven for selfish gratifications.
{PP 182.1}

Chap. 17 - Jacob's Flight and
Exile

Threatened
with death by the wrath of Esau, Jacob went out from his father's home a
fugitive; but he carried with him the father's blessing; Isaac had renewed
to him the covenant promise, and had bidden him, as its inheritor, to seek
a wife of his mother's family in Mesopotamia. Yet it was with a deeply troubled
heart that Jacob set out on his lonely journey. With only his staff in his
hand he must travel hundreds of miles through a country inhabited by wild,
roving tribes. In his remorse and timidity he sought to avoid men, lest he
should be traced by his angry brother. He feared that he had lost forever
the blessing that God had purposed to give him; and Satan was at hand to
press temptations upon him. {PP 183.1}

The
evening of the second day found him far away from his father's tents. He
felt that he was an outcast, and he knew that all this trouble had been brought
upon him by his own wrong course. The darkness of despair pressed upon his
soul, and he hardly dared to pray. But he was so utterly lonely that he felt
the need of protection from God as he had never felt it before. With weeping
and deep humiliation he confessed his sin, and entreated for some evidence
that he was not utterly forsaken. Still his burdened heart found no relief.
He had lost all confidence in himself, and he feared that the God of his
fathers had cast him off. {PP 183.2}

But
God did not forsake Jacob. His mercy was still extended to His erring,
distrustful servant. The Lord compassionately revealed just what Jacob needed--a
Saviour. He had sinned, but his heart was filled with gratitude as he saw
revealed a way by which he could be restored to the favor of God. {PP
183.3}

Wearied
with his journey, the wanderer lay down upon the ground, with a stone for
his pillow. As he slept he beheld a ladder, bright and shining, whose base
rested upon the earth, while the top reached to heaven. Upon this ladder
angels were ascending and descending; above it was the Lord of glory, and
from (p. 184) the heavens His voice was heard: "I am the Lord God of Abraham
thy father, and the God of Isaac." The land whereon he lay as an exile and
fugitive was promised to him and to his posterity, with the assurance, "In
thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." This
promise had been given to Abraham and to Isaac, and now it was renewed to
Jacob. Then in special regard to his present loneliness and distress, the
words of comfort and encouragement were spoken: "Behold, I am with thee,
and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee
again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which
I have spoken to thee of." {PP 183.4}

The
Lord knew the evil influences that would surround Jacob, and the perils to
which he would be exposed. In mercy He opened up the future before the repentant
fugitive, that he might understand the divine purpose with reference to himself,
and be prepared to resist the temptations that would surely come to him when
alone amid idolaters and scheming men. There would be ever before him the
high standard at which he must aim; and the knowledge that through him the
purpose of God was reaching its accomplishment, would constantly prompt him
to faithfulness. {PP 184.1}

In
the vision the plan of redemption was presented to Jacob, not fully, but
in such parts as were essential to him at that time. The mystic ladder revealed
to him in his dream was the same to which Christ referred in His conversation
with Nathanael. Said He, "Ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of man." John 1:51. Up to the time
of man's rebellion against the government of God, there had been free communion
between God and man. But the sin of Adam and Eve separated earth from heaven,
so that man could not have communion with his Maker. Yet the world was not
left in solitary hopelessness. The ladder represents Jesus, the appointed
medium of communication. Had He not with His own merits bridged the gulf
that sin had made, the ministering angels could have held no communion with
fallen man. Christ connects man in his weakness and helplessness with the
source of infinite power. {PP 184.2}

All
this was revealed to Jacob in his dream. Although his mind at once grasped
a part of the revelation, its great and mysterious truths were the study
of his lifetime, and unfolded to his understanding more and more. (p. 187)
{PP 184.3}

Jacob
awoke from his sleep in the deep stillness of night. The shining forms of
his vision had disappeared. Only the dim outline of the lonely hills, and
above them the heavens bright with stars, now met his gaze. But he had a
solemn sense that God was with him. An unseen presence filled the solitude.
"Surely the Lord is in this place," he said, "and I knew it not. . . . This
is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." {PP
187.1}

"And
Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for
his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it."
In accordance with the custom of commemorating important events, Jacob set
up a memorial of God's mercy, that whenever he should pass that way he might
tarry at this sacred spot to worship the Lord. And he called the place Bethel,
or the "house of God." With deep gratitude he repeated the promise that God's
presence would be with him; and then he made the solemn vow, "If God will
be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread
to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house
in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone, which I have set
for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that Thou shalt give me I
will surely give the tenth unto Thee." {PP 187.2}

Jacob
was not here seeking to make terms with God. The Lord had already promised
him prosperity, and this vow was the outflow of a heart filled with gratitude
for the assurance of God's love and mercy. Jacob felt that God had claims
upon him which he must acknowledge, and that the special tokens of divine
favor granted him demanded a return. So does every blessing bestowed upon
us call for a response to the Author of all our mercies. The Christian should
often review his past life and recall with gratitude the precious deliverances
that God has wrought for him, supporting him in trial, opening ways before
him when all seemed dark and forbidding, refreshing him when ready to faint.
He should recognize all of them as evidences of the watchcare of heavenly
angels. In view of these innumerable blessings he should often ask, with
subdued and grateful heart, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His
benefits toward me?" Psalm 116:12. {PP 187.3}

Our
time, our talents, our property, should be sacredly devoted to Him who has
given us these blessings in trust. Whenever a special deliverance is wrought
in our behalf, or new and (p. 188) unexpected favors are granted us, we should
acknowledge God's goodness, not only by expressing our gratitude in words,
but, like Jacob, by gifts and offerings to His cause. As we are continually
receiving the blessings of God, so we are to be continually giving. {PP
187.4}

"Of
all that Thou shalt give me," said Jacob, "I will surely give the tenth unto
Thee." Shall we who enjoy the full light and privileges of the gospel be
content to give less to God than was given by those who lived in the former,
less favored dispensation? Nay, as the blessings we enjoy are greater, are
not our obligations correspondingly increased? But how small the estimate;
how vain the endeavor to measure with mathematical rules, time, money, and
love, against a love so immeasurable and a gift of such inconceivable worth.
Tithes for Christ! Oh, meager pittance, shameful recompense for that which
cost so much! From the cross of Calvary, Christ calls for an unreserved
consecration.

All
that we have, all that we are, should be devoted to God. {PP
188.1}

With
a new and abiding faith in the divine promises, and assured of the presence
and guardianship of heavenly angels, Jacob pursued his journey to "the land
of the children of the East." Genesis 29:1, margin. But how different his
arrival from that of Abraham's messenger nearly a hundred years before! The
servant had come with a train of attendants riding upon camels, and with
rich gifts of gold and silver; the son was a lonely, footsore traveler, with
no possession save his staff. Like Abraham's servant, Jacob tarried beside
a well, and it was here that he met Rachel, Laban's younger daughter. It
was Jacob now who rendered service, rolling the stone from the well and watering
the flocks. On making known his kinship, he was welcomed to the home of Laban.
Though he came portionless and unattended, a few weeks showed the worth of
his diligence and skill, and he was urged to tarry. It was arranged that
he should render Laban seven years' service for the hand of Rachel. {PP
188.2}

In
early times custom required the bridegroom, before the ratification of a
marriage engagement, to pay a sum of money or its equivalent in other property,
according to his circumstances, to the father of his wife. This was regarded
as a safeguard to the marriage relation. Fathers did not think it safe to
trust the happiness of their daughters to men who had not made provision
for the support of a family. If they had not sufficient thrift and energy
to manage business and acquire cattle or lands, it was feared that (p. 189)
their life would prove worthless. But provision was made to test those who
had nothing to pay for a wife. They were permitted to labor for the father
whose daughter they loved, the length of time being regulated by the value
of the dowry required. When the suitor was faithful in his services, and
proved in other respects worthy, he obtained the daughter as his wife; and
generally the dowry which the father had received was given her at her marriage.
In the case of both Rachel and Leah, however, Laban selfishly retained the
dowry that should have been given them; they referred to this when they said,
just before the removal from Mesopotamia, "He hath sold us, and hath quite
devoured also our money." {PP 188.3}

The
ancient custom, though sometimes abused, as by Laban, was productive of good
results. When the suitor was required to render service to secure his bride,
a hasty marriage was prevented, and there was opportunity to test the depth
of his affections, as well as his ability to provide for a family. In our
time many evils result from pursuing an opposite course. It is often the
case that persons before marriage have little opportunity to become acquainted
with each other's habits and disposition, and, so far as everyday life is
concerned, they are virtually strangers when they unite their interests at
the altar. Many find, too late, that they are not adapted to each other,
and lifelong wretchedness is the result of their union. Often the wife and
children suffer from the indolence and inefficiency or the vicious habits
of the husband and father. If the character of the suitor had been tested
before marriage, according to the ancient custom, great unhappiness might
have been prevented. {PP 189.1}

Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 180

Years
passed on, until Isaac, old and blind, and expecting soon to die, determined
no longer to delay the bestowal of the blessing upon his elder son.

But
knowing the opposition of Rebekah and Jacob, he decided to perform the solemn
ceremony in secret. In accordance with the custom of making a feast upon
such occasions, the patriarch bade Esau, "Go out to the field, and take me
some venison; and make me savory meat, . . . that my soul may bless thee
before I die." (p. 180) {PP 179.4}

Rebekah
divined his purpose. She was confident that it was contrary to what God had
revealed as His will. Isaac was in danger of incurring the divine displeasure
and of debarring his younger son from the position to which God had called
him. She had in vain tried the effect of reasoning with Isaac, and she determined
to resort to stratagem. {PP 180.1}

No
sooner had Esau departed on his errand than Rebekah set about the accomplishment
of her purpose. She told Jacob what had taken place, urging the necessity
of immediate action to prevent the bestowal of the blessing, finally and
irrevocably, upon Esau. And she assured her son that if he would follow her
directions, he might obtain it as God had promised. Jacob did not readily
consent to the plan that she proposed. The thought of deceiving his father
caused him great distress. He felt that such a sin would bring a curse rather
than a blessing. But his scruples were overborne, and he proceeded to carry
out his mother's suggestions. It was not his intention to utter a direct
falsehood, but once in the presence of his father he seemed to have gone
too far to retreat, and he obtained by fraud the coveted blessing. {PP
180.2}

Jacob
and Rebekah succeeded in their purpose, but they gained only trouble and
sorrow by their deception. God had declared that Jacob should receive the
birthright, and His word would have been fulfilled in His own time had they
waited in faith for Him to work for them. But like many who now profess to
be children of God, they were unwilling to leave the matter in His hands.
Rebekah bitterly repented the wrong counsel she had given her son; it was
the means of separating him from her, and she never saw his face again. From
the hour when he received the birthright, Jacob was weighed down with
self-condemnation. He had sinned against his father, his brother, his own
soul, and against God. In one short hour he had made work for a lifelong
repentance. This scene was vivid before him in afteryears, when the wicked
course of his sons oppressed his soul. {PP 180.3}

No
sooner had Jacob left his father's tent than Esau entered. Though he had
sold his birthright, and confirmed the transfer by a solemn oath, he was
now determined to secure its blessings, regardless of his brother's claim.
With the spiritual was connected the temporal birthright, which would give
him the headship of the family and possession of a double portion of his
father's (p. 181) wealth. These were blessings that he could value. "Let
my father arise," he said, "and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may
bless me." {PP 180.4}

John
1:51 NKJV 51 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter
you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending
upon the Son of Man."

Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 184

The
Lord knew the evil influences that would surround Jacob, and the perils to
which he would be exposed. In mercy He opened up the future before the repentant
fugitive, that he might understand the divine purpose with reference to himself,

and
be prepared to resist the temptations that would surely come to him when
alone amid idolaters and scheming men. There would be ever before him the
high standard at which he must aim; and the knowledge that through him the
purpose of God was reaching its accomplishment, would constantly prompt him
to faithfulness. {PP 184.1}

In
the vision the plan of redemption was presented to Jacob, not fully, but
in such parts as were essential to him at that time. The mystic ladder revealed
to him in his dream was the same to which Christ referred in His conversation
with Nathanael. Said He, "Ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of man." John 1:51. Up to the time
of man's rebellion against the government of God, there had been free communion
between God and man. But the sin of Adam and Eve separated earth from heaven,
so that man could not have communion with his Maker. Yet the world was not
left in solitary hopelessness. The ladder represents Jesus, the appointed
medium of communication. Had He not with His own merits bridged the gulf
that sin had made, the ministering angels could have held no communion with
fallen man. Christ connects man in his weakness and helplessness with the
source of infinite power. {PP 184.2}

All
this was revealed to Jacob in his dream. Although his mind at once grasped
a part of the revelation, its great and mysterious truths were the study
of his lifetime, and unfolded to his understanding more and more. (p. 187)
{PP 184.3}